Automatic barn-door latch.



G. H. PECK.

AUTOMATIC BARN DOOR LATCH.

APPLICATION FILED 001. so, 1911.

1,049,390. Patented Jan.7,1913.

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WITNESSES INVENTOR y y Allow enoaen H. BECK, or ronrnonen, IOWA.

AUTOMATIC BARN-DOOR LATCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 7 1913.

Application filed October 30, 1911. Serial No. 657,471.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. PEGK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Fort Dodge, in the county of Webster and State of Iowa, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Barn-DoorLatches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in automatic barndoor latches, and the objects of the invention are to provide aneconomical, durable and eflicient latch, which is easy of adjustment andwill retain the door open or closed as required, holding it in theposition with out fear that the wind will wrench it off its hinges. Anda further object is to provide a latch novel in construction and whichcan be used with any style of barn door and adjusted to accommodate thesag or warp without disturbing the entire latch, as this can beaccomplished by simply raising or lowering a small cross bar in thekeeper. I accomplish these objects, and others which will appear fromthe specification, by means of the device illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1, is a view looking down uponthe device, showing the manner of connecting it with a barn door. Fig. 2is an end View. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional detail of the keepershowing its manner of engagement with the latch. Fig. 4 is a verticalsectional view of the plates and end view of the pin in position onwhich the handle bar operates. Fig. 5 is a detail of the handle clutchwhich holds the door open.

Similar figures refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring specifically to the drawings, 1 is an-ordinary barn door, and2 the door frame or wall adjacent to the door opening, in which the dooris hung. The handle 3 is a bent metallic strip, substantiallysemicircular in form with a diameter having central projecting arms, 3,formed on the ends of the said metallic strip and in which the handlebar, 4, is secured by suitable bolts, as at 4, in the assembling of thedevice. A second handle, 5, is made of similar material andsubstantially the same in form as handle 3, and is suitably secured bybolt, as at 6, to the handle bar 4. The handle bar 4 is of suitabledimensions and is provided with an opening, 7, through which a pin maypass and upon which it moves,

necessary to the successful operation of the device, as the handle 3 maybe composed of heavier material than handle 5, thus affording asufiicient weight to operate the mechanism of the latch.

The diameter 9, of handle 5, is made to extend beyond the circularportion, terminating in a rectangularly formed hook or latch, 10,designed to enter the keeper 11. This keeper is a rectangularly formedbox or skeleton, with an open side, 12, into which the latch 10 may passwhen the door is closed on which the device is placed. The open side 12is provided with a transverse strip, 13, which is bolted across theopening and acts as a catch to the latch 10 when forced into the keeper.This cross bar may be raised or lowered to accommodate the latch whenthe door settles or sags, by means of convenient boltholes transverselyalong the ends. This construction avoids raising or lowering any otherportion of the latch, or changing it in any way, to suit the changedcondition of the door by warping or sagging.

A pair of plates, 14-14, of suitable size are provided to hold andsupport the working mechanism of the latch in position on the door, andeach of them has a central oppositely extending depression or cavity,15, in which an ordinary pin, 16, is designed to operate. This is asmall cylindrical metallic pin of suitable dimensions to fit into thedepressions 15 of the plates, and upon which the handle bar 4 oscillatesin the operation of the device, as hereinafter detailed. The plates areeach also provided with a central vertical slot, 17, through which thehandle bar 4 may pass in the assembling of the parts. They also havesuitable screw openings, as at 18, through which screws, as at 19, maybe inserted, securing the plates to a door, as 1.

A hook of the ordinary type 20, as shown in Fig. 5, may be convenientlysecured to the wall of the barn to engage handle 5, as the door isthrown open, and this handle rides up into the hook, and by thecounterbalancing weight on handle 3, the handle 5 remains securely inthe hooked position until released.

Having described the various parts of my invention, its assembling andoperation are as follows :-A suitable opening is made'in the barn doorto which it is to be attached, and of sufficient size to permit theinsertion of handle bar 4, and its movement up and down,'and at aconvenient height for use; the bar 4 is then inserted extendingsufliciently through to the exterior of the door to bring the opening 7in the bar beyond the surface, one of the plates 14-14 is then placed inposition on the outside of the door so that the handle bar 4 passesthrough the vertical slot 17; the pin 16 is then inserted in opening 7in the handle bar 4 and horizontally in the depression or cavity 15, andthus held in position until the outer plate is adjusted in the samemanner, and the two are secured by screws, 1919, to the exterior of thedoor. The handle 5'with the latch, 10 thereon is then to be adjusted tohandle bar 4 by meansof bolt 6. The keeper e 11 is then to be secured byscrews to the frame or wall, with the open side 12 out ward, and at suchposition as to engage the latch 10 of the handle 5 as the door isclosed. After the parts are thus assembled the operation is obviously asfollows :If the door is closed a downward pressure on the outer handle 5causes the latch 10 to drop downward out of engagement with thetransverse bar 13 in the keeper 11, and the door may be opened. If to beopened from the inside an uplift of the handle 3 causes the handle bar 4to revolve on the pin 16,.thus lowering handle 5 and the latch 10attached thereto, forcing it out of engagement with the keeper bar, asdetailed above. The weights 8 on handle 3 are suflicient to uphold thehandle 5, and keep the latchlocked in engagement with the keeper, sothat it cannot be released without manipulation. The beveled point ofthelatch 10 causes it to slide into engagement with the keeper, by merelypushing the door closed. When the door is thrown open 'the handle 5,swings back and rides into hook 20, thus holding the door open, and theweights on the handle 3 retain these handles in this relation untilreleased.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. A device of thecharacter. described, consisting of a plurality of handles, one thereofcarrying alatch, a handle bar connecting said handles, a pair ofcooperating plates having transverse slots therein adapted. to receivesaid handle bar, and each provided with a central depression conjointlyforming a pin bearing, a handle bar-pin adapted to insertion in the saidbearing, a

the said latch, and weight means for retaining said handles in normalposition, substantially asand for the purposes set forth.

2. An automatic barn door latch, consisting. of a plurality of handles,one thereof carrying a latch, a handle bar connecting said handles,a'pair of cooperating plates having transverse slots therein adapted toreceive said handle bar, 'and each provided with a central depressionconjointly forming'a pin bearing, a handle bar pin adapted to insertionin the said bearing, a skeleton keeper adapted to engagement with saidlatch, and weight means for retaining said handles in normal position,and means for securing said plates and keeper to a door, substantiallyas setforth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

- J. H. BREAM, F. A. Hnncns.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

6O skeleton keeper adapted to engagement wlth

